Chris Evans has a hit with CarFest North

CHRIS Evans pulled up alongside us in a golf cart, prompting a moment of comedy genius. 

Someone in the crowd turned to the Radio 2 DJ, gave him a cheeky glance and shouted “It’s nice to see you’ve brought your car to show, mate”. It was hilarious but I think Chris saw the funny side.

Say what you want about Chris Evans but even if you didn’t like his stint on The Big Breakfast you can’t deny he’s a proper petrolhead, through and through; a car connoisseur rather than someone who just throws their millions at any old Ferrari or Lambo. That’s what made CarFest North far better than I could’ve expected it to be, because Chris wasn’t hiding backstage. He was out there gawping at supercars, just like everyone else.

I turned up at Cholmondeley last Saturday with the same exasperated question as everyone else – sounds great, but it costs HOW much? Even bearing in mind it was a fundraiser for BBC Children In Need, with a third of the price going straight to charity, at £60 for a day ticket it’s nearly as twice as much as Cholmondeley’s other show, the Pageant of Power, which until now has been the priciest automotive outing I’ve enjoyed. On the basis you can actually buy a secondhand supermini for the cost of some of the VIP weekend glamping packages, I was ready to declare it a bit of a rip-off in these pages.

But here’s the rub – I can’t, because even with the price in mind it was a truly enjoyable car show quite unlike any other. There was all the stuff you’d expect to see at a high end car show – supercar sprints, Group B rally cars, classics being auctioned off and so on – but at the point when I’d normally trapse out of the gate, overloaded with freebies for the long drive home, the car show ended and the music,  Chris’ other passion, began.

Life On Cars took these pictures at the event, which continues today (September 9, 2012):

Admittedly, I stayed right to the raggedy end because Texas, one of my favourite bands, were headlining, but it’s amazing to think that I met Chris Evans, sang Say What You Want with 20,000 other people and saw hundreds of shiny supercars, all at the same show. If this the future of charity fundraising, count me in.

I’m already planning on making a weekend of next year’s event, when Chris inevitably confirms it. Time, I think, to dig the tent out...